BOS Urges Inspections for Farm Use Vehicles that Haul SludgeGoochland, VA (7/21/17) -- County leaders are pushing state legislators to require all vehicles transporting biosolids to undergo state inspection. District 1 representatives are concerned about vehicles designated “farm use” that are not required to be registered or inspected, but still transport biosolids to farms.

City of Watertown Selects Company to Haul SludgeWatertown, NY (7/24/17) -- Casella Organics won a contract to market and haul sludge from the Watertown's wastewater treatment plant. Casella will haul 1,000 to 5,000 tons of sludge from the plant and will be paid $744,500 during the duration of the contract, which will expire in 2022.

News from Beyond the MABA Region

ESB Members Get The Dirt On CompostLos Alamos, NM (7/25/17) -- Members of the county Environmental Sustainability Board were given a tour of the wastewater treatment plant in Pueblo Canyon. The plant used to send its sludge to landfills, but now treats its sludge to be used in compost.

Compost in City Parks and Golf Courses Saves the Money on Fertilizer, Reduces Water UsageKingman, AZ (7/25/17) -- The Hilltop Wastewater Treatment Plant in Arizona produces a biosolids compost. In 2016, two treatment plants produced 2,214 dry tons of biosolids. Approximately 380 of those were spread amongst grass and plants within the 100 acres of city parks and 90 acres of Cerbat Cliffs Golf Course. There are about 4,300 dry tons of biosolids and compost stored at hilltop facility right now. The city saves on fertilizers, has improved turf quality at several city sites, and saved on landfill fees.

Les Liman: Twin Enviro Still CompostingMilner, CO (7/26/17) -- This Letter to the Editor addresses statements made in a previous article titled “Organics Recycling - It’s Not One Size Fits All” that claimed “Twin Enviro Services is suspending its commercial and residential composting”. Les Liman, owner of Twin Enviro Services explains the logistical and financial challenges of implementing a compost collection programs with residential and commercial customers. The organization still runs a composting facility using biosolids as their main ingredient.

EPA Selects San Francisco Biosolids Digester Facility to Apply for $625 Million LoanSan Francisco, CA (7/28/17) -- “The US Environmental Protection Agency has invited the San Francisco Public Utility Commission (SFPUC) to apply for a $625 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan.” San Francisco’s wastewater treatment system was one of 12 prospective projects selected to submit applications for loans.

Loans OK’d for Oregon, LindseyOregon, OH (7/31/17) - The City of Oregon has been approved for financing from the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund to construct a new biosolids dewatering system that will allow material to be sent to a landfill rather than applying it to fields. This decision was made in order to reduce the amount of phosphorus entering the environment and potentially causing algal blooms in waterways.

Marysville to Spend More to Recycle Biosolids from Wastewater Treatment PlantMarysville, MI(8/3/17) -- The Marysville City Council voted to award a five-year contract to Michigan AgriBusiness Solutions LLC, to transport and land apply its biosolids. This contract will follow the completion of a five year contract with Synagro that will not continue because Synagro is pulling its operations out of Michigan.

AUB Wastewater Rate Increase is a Small Price to Pay for Strong SystemAthena, TN (8/2/17) -- Athens Utilities Board (AUB) will be starting to increase their rates in order to cover the cost of loan payments from upgrading the Oostanaula Wastewater Treatment Plant and expanding services to new areas. The operational investment has paid off in some regards with AUB WWTPs receiving Operational Excellence Awards and plant operators earning the Beneficial Use of Biosolids Award from the Kentucky-Tennessee Environment Association. AUB has also been recognized for its biosolids product AthenaGro.

News from Abroad

Human Waste Can Fuel AgricultureBengaluru,Karnataka, India (7/20/17) -- A faecal sludge treatment plant (FSTP), started in Devanahalli in 2015 handles waste from 20,000 residences, and treats waste so it is safe for agricultural uses. This small scale project is seen as a model for other similar project and is a prefered option as opposed to farmers using untreated sludge for agriculture. “The project, implemented by the local administration with the help of Bengaluru-based firm Consortium for DEWATSTM Dissemination (CDD), was among the sustainable processes discussed at the Future Earth South Asia Regional Workshop held at the Divecha Centre for Climate Change (DCCC), Indian Institute of Science”.

Consultancies Team Up to Investigate Threats of Recycling Biosolids to GroundEurope (7/21/17) -- Environmental consultants, Aqua Enviro, have joined a consortium led by ADAS to develop a project looking at threats from recycling biosolids to land. The project is funded by research program UKWIR and includes a variety of educational organizations and public health agencies. This review will build on existing information available from international scientific literature and will identify and prioritise key focus areas for further investigation.

Sink or Source? Anaerobic Digestion May Reduce Microplastics in Sewage SludgeEuropean Commission’s DG Environment/ University of the West of England(7/28/17) -- Micoplastics that remain in treated sewage have been identified as a concern when land applying biosolids. This article points to research that suggests different processing techniques may vary in effectiveness for reducing the amount of microplastics in biosolids. “In the context of the upcoming EU Strategy on Plastics in a Circular Economy, due to be presented in late 2017, further studies on microplastics are being undertake; thus further studies of microplastics on land would be useful to monitor for changes in levels as a result of policy”.